Live Orion

Collection Contents

#		Title	Length
1		Close to the Whipping Post	6:17	Play
2		Air	5:25	Play
3		Siren Space	6:12	Play
4		In My Lost Mind	7:24	Play
5		Dead Raven Space	5:28	Play
6		Don't Stop the Levee	3:53	Play
7		quarkital	5:43	Play
8		Faerienot Space	9:28	Play
9		Dancing Swan	10:17	Play
10		Whitehawk Space	8:10	Play

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Description

Quarkspace. Remember that name. Remember it well. Because today's space rock music conjugates with Quarkspace. If bands like Ozric Tentacles and Porcupine Tree gave back this musical genre its crown, Quarkspace will soon eclipse them.

Quarkspace is Chet Santia on bass and vocals (very ethereal : is he singing or just breathing?), Jay Swanson on keyboards, Dave Wexler and Darren Gough on guitars and Paul Williams on drums. The band records since 1996. First, four cassette releases in 1996 and 1997 under the title Spacefolds which present studio improvisations. Then, in 1996, an eponymous CD, this time focusing on shorter songs. Both projects were very promising and Quarkspace definitely earned their place among the American space rock newcomers like Alien Planetscapes and Architectural Metaphor.

But today Quarkspace rises above all of them and shines. The new space rock star. Live Orion has been recorded live in October 1997 at the Orion Space Rock Festival (for all but one track). The album showcases Quarkspace at their best, in mindblowing shape and in all their diversity. The CD contains live versions of some of the songs on their first CD, revisited and far better than the original versions (like " Air " and " In My Lost Mind "), new songs, space improvisations (of course!) and even some improvs released in the Spacefolds series that the guys learned and transformed (such as the beautiful " Faerienot Space "). Over an hour of a magic and trippy space rock. Quarkspace cooks an ethereal music, smooth, all in textures and moods, nothing like the twirling rhythms of Ozric Tentacles. A gentle piano, a tiptoed bass line, some guitar licks. A perfect sound. Pure pleasure. Sit back, relax, enjoy. - Francois Coutere, Delire Musical about Live Orion.

The Live Orion CD illustrates how important it is to experience this type of music in a live environment, and how this band in particular shines when performing live. Quarkspace is somewhat unique among the current crop of space rock bands in that they aren't from the hard edged Hawkwind camp, nor can they be firmly categorized in the dreamier ambient space camp. What stands out on this CD is a band whose roots are very much in the classic jam rock camp, but add enough elements of space in their sound, and ambience in the atmosphere to make them a space band. When they really start to cook they have been compared to the Allman Brothers, and there are tracks here that feature this sound. Like the Allmans, each instrument is clearly distinguishable from the others, yet all play cooperatively to produce some kick ass rock music that has the added benefit of blasting the listener into the cosmos. On other tracks I'm reminded of the the glory days of psychedelic stretching out, but with a higher level of instrumental proficiency than was characterisic of many bands in that genre.

Vocal numbers are interspersed with the instrumentals and Chet Santia's voice reminds me of a harder edged Peter Gabriel. This release will mark the first Quarkspace vocal numbers since their 1996 debut CD, and those familiar with that release should note how the music, though in a "song" context, is often just as busy and interesting as on the purely instrumental tracks. For those not familiar with Quarkspace this live performance is an excellent starting point. Highly recommended. - Jerry Kranitz, Aural Innovations